TRAVEL , ESCAPE , PARDON OUR FRENCH

Karoly Aliotti's Venice

Best weekend getaway

An important thing is to take a water taxi to your hotel; not a car! There are only a few things more beautiful then to enter Venice by sea..

Where do we stay?

I am always more inclined to rent a house in Venice; but if you insist on a hotel… other than the usual suspects, maybe the Aman? Unless you insist on watching the stars from a terrace… if so, Cima Rosa it is.

Checked-in. Now what?

Head straight to the ever so stylish Bauer Palladio’s garden for an aperitivo. Once you freshen up, the first must-see stop is without a doubt the Palazzo Fortuny. The belgian antiques impresario Axel Vervoordt has curated yet another fantastic show, PROPORTIO. What do Botticelli, Canova or the Dutch Old Masters have in common with Marina Abramovic, Antony Gormley, Anselm Kiefer or Sol Lewitt? go find out!

Where do we have the best lunch?

If you are ready for another bellini, some carpaccio, and, of course, dessert.. Harry's Bar?

What about a church for after lunch?

I would most definitely visit the Basilica dei Frari… You must go there to see Tiziano's painting, the Assumption of the Virgin which is displayed over the main altar. Another artwork amongst many that you must see there is a statue of St. John the Baptist sculpted by Donatello! Oh, and if you want to pay your respects, the painter Tiziano’s and the sculptor Canova’s tombs are both housed there.

What about something a little more contemporary?

If you want contemporary, then Punta Della Dogana is definitely an option to keep in mind. Today it's a center for contemporary art, but as you could guess from it's location at the mouth of Venice, it was formerly a customs house! The Pinault Collection has restored the building, and it houses a selection of their immense collection of contemporary art.

It’s time for dinner!

Venice and gastronomy are not the best match; ask me something else! but, if I must, then try Quadri? Or Trattoria alla madonna for something more modest…

Personally, I can’t start the day without coffee! Do you have a special spot?

For a morning coffee, definitely ''Ai Artisti'; it's a tiny little place, with the best croissant in Venice..

If you had to pick on 'special spot' about Venice… ?

Getting lost in the little streets of Venice trying to find a spot, is even better then actually finding it... But one of my favorites place in Venice is probably Torcello, a quiet island at the northern end of the Venetian Lagoon. If I had time for only one visit, it would be the Torcello Cathedral, to see the 12th-century Byzantine mosaics. Afterall, before there was a "Venice," there was Torcello!

Which book would be most fitting to read while in Venice?

Well, if you take the time to visit Torcello, then I would suggest you read Ernest Hemingway’s Across the River and Into the Trees. Hemingway spent some time there in 1948, writing parts of the book there.

And where would I find this book in Venice?

Try to see if you can find it at the Acqua Alta Bookshop. The most fascinating, chaotic yet organized little bookshop.. there are a few rooms filled with books from floor to ceiling, but they also store the books in even tubs and gondolas! Definitely one of the wonders of Venice..